Tesla (TSLA -0.60%) inventory continues its ascent larger as buyers pile into development shares and synthetic intelligence alternatives. However at its core, Tesla is a play on the vitality transition and electrical automobiles (EVs) gaining market share over gas-powered alternate options.
Tesla is the biggest holding within the First Belief Nasdaq Clear Edge Inexperienced Vitality Index Fund (QCLN -1.48%). However the exchange-traded fund (ETF) affords a lot extra than simply Tesla publicity. Here is why it is a hidden gem ETF with a vivid future forward of it.

Picture supply: Getty Photos.
A singular ETF
Probably the greatest causes to put money into an ETF over a person inventory is to get generalized publicity to a sure business or kind of inventory (development, worth, revenue, and so forth.). When you concentrate on clear vitality, you in all probability consider solar and wind vitality shares. And whereas that is definitely part of the Clear Edge Inexperienced Vitality ETF, there’s truly much more to it than that. Listed below are the highest 10 holdings within the ETF and their respective weighting. Collectively, these prime 10 holdings represent slightly below 60% of the fund.
Firm |
Ticker |
Classification |
Weighting |
---|---|---|---|
Tesla |
(TSLA -0.60%) |
Cars |
11.14% |
On Semiconductor |
(ON -3.49%) |
Semiconductors |
9.72% |
Albemarle |
(ALB -0.61%) |
Chemical substances: diversified |
7.99% |
First Photo voltaic |
(FSLR -1.67%) |
Renewable vitality gear |
7.01% |
Rivian Automotive |
(RIVN 0.29%) |
Cars |
6.60% |
Enphase Vitality |
(ENPH -1.64%) |
Renewable vitality gear |
5.84% |
Lucid Group |
(LCID -1.50%) |
Cars |
3.13% |
Common Show |
(OLED -1.75%) |
Digital parts |
2.95% |
Brookfield Renewable Companions |
(BEP 1.04%) |
Different electrical energy |
2.69% |
Allegro Microsystems |
(ALGM -3.02%) |
Semiconductors |
2.58% |
Knowledge supply: First Belief.
There are quite a lot of semiconductor and EV corporations, however there are additionally photo voltaic know-how corporations, renewable energy utilities, and even a prime lithium producer, Albemarle.
Quite a lot of different clear vitality ETFs focus an excessive amount of on energy producers, whereas the Clear Edge Inexperienced Vitality ETF focuses on the nuts and bolts, inputs, and sources required to make the vitality transition a actuality.
Causes to personal and to not personal the Clear Edge Inexperienced Vitality ETF
The ETF incorporates all kinds of know-how producers, builders, distributors, and installers. So it is a good way to realize publicity to corporations you’ve got in all probability by no means heard of which can be instrumental gamers within the vitality transition.
Nonetheless, the most important disadvantage of the ETF is that it does have quite a lot of publicity to EVs. Tesla is the biggest holding at 11.1%. And proper behind it’s On Semi — a maker of automotive chips — with a 9.7% weighting. Coming in at third place is Albemarle, which once more is a play on EVs via elevated lithium demand for battery packs.
All informed the ETF is extra geared towards EVs than it’s on clear vitality generally. Nonetheless, in case you’re fascinated about EVs and consider that they’re disrupting the transportation business and can play a key function in slowing down the advance of local weather change, then there are quite a lot of advantages to proudly owning this ETF.
A standard means of investing in EVs is thru an automaker like Tesla, Rivian, or Lucid — all holdings of the ETF. However there’s a lot extra to the business than automakers. And the Clear Edge Inexperienced Vitality ETF is a strategy to put money into the EV provide chain somewhat than simply the automakers.
A foundational holding for EV buyers
The Clear Edge Inexperienced Vitality ETF is down 29.3% over the past two years and is hovering round a two-year low. It may stay challenged within the brief time period, as EVs stay a development business that’s susceptible to excessive rates of interest and slowing client discretionary spending.
The ETF has a 0.58% expense ratio. For context, you should purchase an S&P 500 index fund for an expense ratio below 0.1%. The Vanguard Development ETF and the Vanguard Worth ETF each have expense ratios below 0.05%. And lots of sector ETFs even have near-zero expense ratios. So buyers are definitely paying the next value for the companies supplied by the Clear Edge Inexperienced Vitality ETF. It is not very best, however there’s an argument to be made that the worth is price it for the worldwide publicity and diversification, which might be tough and tedious to duplicate by shopping for particular person securities. What’s extra, the distinction in expense ratios would not be an enormous deal until it was an enormous place. For instance, a $1,000 funding at a 0.58% expense ratio is just round $6 in comparison with $1 for an ETF with a 0.1% expense ratio.
The most effective use of the ETF is as a core holding for buyers to purchase and let compound over years, if not many years to return. In spite of everything, EVs stay a small share of recent passenger automobile gross sales, and an excellent smaller share of fleet automobiles. It’s going to take time for the business to essentially make an influence. Traders affected person sufficient to attend ought to check out the Clear Edge Inexperienced Vitality ETF.
Daniel Foelber has positions in Enphase Vitality and has the next choices: lengthy November 2023 $195 calls on Enphase Vitality, lengthy September 2023 $135 calls on Enphase Vitality, lengthy September 2023 $146.67 calls on Tesla, brief November 2023 $200 calls on Enphase Vitality, brief September 2023 $140 calls on Enphase Vitality, and brief September 2023 $150 calls on Tesla. The Motley Idiot has positions in and recommends Enphase Vitality, Tesla, and Wolfspeed. The Motley Idiot recommends Brookfield Renewable Companions, First Photo voltaic, MP Supplies, ON Semiconductor, SolarEdge Applied sciences, and Common Show. The Motley Idiot has a disclosure policy.